Price and looks bang on for a second-room player; performance is mostly there, too

For

Stylish design, compact unit

1080p video output

dynamic colours

insight

Against

No DTS support

some trouble with motion

Reviewed on 25th June 2008

We had to check that this was indeed a standard DVD player and not a portable. The dimensions, curves and finish are in line with Samsung's home cinema in a box systems. It all makes for a small, easily accommodated machine.

The remote isn't quite so fancy and isn't the most clearly laid out but it does the job; you can also use the clever touchscreen buttons on the unit itself.

Don't be fooled by the looks, this machine means business on the inside, too. There's an HDMI output, which thanks to the internal scaling, is capable of outputting video content right up to 1080p, alongside component and composite connections and support for DivX video.

For audio, there's a digital coaxial coaxial output and Dolby Digital decoding, though there's no support for DTS soundtracks.

Still, the DVD-F1080 proves decent enough with movie soundtracks, with clear dialogue and a fair amount of punch.

More after the break

Picture performance shinesIt's the picture where a DVD player earns its corn and the F1080 puts up a good show. In the gory Rambo, the Samsung delivers bright colours – blood red, say – and makes a fair stab at dark blacks.

Detail recovery is impressive, with Stallone's ragged face providing plenty for the player to get its teeth in to. Fast motion causes the Samsung a touch of bother, the image losing a little crispness and stability with fast pans We also see some noise at times, especially when viewing those blocks of black colour.

Still, this is a competent player that represents solid value at £70 – and even more so with the real possibility of finding it cheaper.